Issue 1290 – Downhill – November 6, 2023

I’m not sure what brought it to mind, but this morning, I was thinking about a winter event from many years ago.
There was a colossal toboggan hill near where we lived (bearing in mind I was in my early teens at the time … it may have shrunk over time). I know it was much longer than the one by the lake. There seemed to always be kids there. We slid down on toboggans, sleds, old cardboard boxes, inner tubes or even just our jackets. The hill was always the site of much screaming and giggling.
Unlike some hills I’ve seen photos of, there were no clearly defined runs. You simply grabbed an empty spot at the top of the hill, piled on and away you went. There would be dozens of people going up or down the hill simultaneously.
The rides were a lot of fun, although there wasn’t a lot of control involved. You simply piled on, pushed off and went for broke. If everyone held on and the trip didn’t involve too many bumps, we could travel a long way, jumping off just before we ran into the school wall.
There were bumps and bruises galore, but seldom a serious injury. On rare occasions, someone would break an arm or a leg. That kind of thing usually happened when someone ignored the rules and went sledding in dangerous areas that we all knew better than to attempt.
Once you got to the bottom, the real work started. It was time to drag your ride back up the hill. You had to be careful not to slip or let go of the rope, or the toboggan would head for the bottom of the hill without you along for the ride. When that happened, all you could do was chase it to the bottom and start over again.
On the way up, you were always in danger of being run over by some out-of-control load of kids on their way down the hill. That meant that the trip uphill was seldom a straight line.
Getting ready for the next ride always took far more time than the actual ride itself. There was no way around that. To get down the hill, you first had to climb it.
It was always easy to get someone to ride along with you. You could pack a lot of kids on the tube or toboggan with no problem. Pulling the tube or toboggan back up was a different story; the sled owner usually had to pull it up.
Life’s like that times. It’s easy to get people to come along for the fun parts, but many just vanish when the work starts. I’m sure we’ve all been guilty of doing that at times.
One partner never leaves us, though. God is always willing to grab hold of the rope and help us bring the load back up the hill. Often, if we have the eyes to see, we’ll find He did all the work and pulled us up the hill.
Even if we jump on life’s toboggan and ride back down without Him, selfishly enjoying the ride, He’s there with us along the hill, waiting to pick us up and patch us up when we fall. He’s at the bottom of the hill, waiting to help us bring the sled back up.
When the load gets too much, He’ll be there. He’s even there when we ignore His warnings and go sledding into places we shouldn’t go.
Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:28-30
Where are you on the ride of life? Are you and God enjoying the ride together? Is he tending your wounds on the sidelines or helping you up the hill? Or are you racing alone and struggling to get back up alone?
Until next time, remember that God can accompany you on all the ups and downs of life.
Be blessed
Hallelu Yah / Praise God
Kevin
Gleanings From The Word
Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life.
Soli Deo Gloria (For the glory of God alone)
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